The back is on the mend at last :o) and I just ensure that I take these exercises with me when I hit the road later this month.

I came across this article a couple of days ago which made a few resonant points. According to new research, 97 percent of employees report that they have a Career Limiting Habit (CLH) that keeps them from achieving their potential at work.

Check this out, and be honest, are you guilty of some of these traits?

1.Unreliability

2.“It’s not my job.”

3.Procrastination

4.Resistance to change

5.Negative attitude

6.Disrespect

7.Short-term focus

8.Selfishness

9.Passive aggressiveness

10.Risk aversion

Admittedly, I am guilty of procrastination, while short-term focus and resistance to change have been eliminated from my system though a series of hard lessons. Before you get all defensive, recognize that no one is perfect and know that being humble enough to accept critiques will work in your favour.

I’ve come across many people with the above traits. Some of them exist in roles that may surprise you - heck, they surprised me! Makes you wonder how the hell they managed to end up there in the first place. While some of these traits can be minimized over time, most of it has to do with the person themselves and their willingness to change. One interesting statistic from the report notes thatnearly half of bosses polled said that addressing employees’ glaring bad habit is three times more important than increasing their technical skills.

Ok, but then again...how much do the bosses themselves see? What if they have no HR professional to take care of employee issues? Are they proactive enough to schedule regular employee reviews or will they wait till these issues become too glaring or until someone highlights it to them? In most cases, bosses and employees tend to overlook such behaviours until its too late, especially when they are too bogged down with work.

Call me strange but I’d rather hear some hard truths about me being an idiot so that I can rectify the issue rather than amble along like a fool. Oddly enough, I’ve been told that I should learn to be more selfish. Waitamin… isn’t being selfish a CLH? Heck yea! However, it can also be a self-preservation tactic if applied correctly. You never know what sorts of idiots you’ll encounter so it’s best to save some sanity and channel it towards other pursuits.

When it comes to work, I’m a do-er. Discussions and all are fine but please refrain from talking things to death, there has to be limits! Getting my hands dirty by collaborating and working on strategies and plans, followed by implementation pretty much sums the stuff I love. Sure, there are times when I hit a wall but this process is minimized when working in a more cohesive environment.

But fear not, dear reader for there are solutions and people to save you from impending idiocy! Harsh? Oh please, don’t get prissy on me now. I'm reading some really insightful articles from this site that could help. A certified career coach and nutritionist, Chrissy Scivicque’s articles are really informative and helpful in a number of areas. Plus, she is working on a series of articles that addresses each of the above CLHs and provides workable solutions that anyone can use as part of their long-term career development.

Go have a read! If anything, it will open your eyes and mind towards self improvement :)